DENTAL campaign group Toothless in England is set to discuss the NHS dentistry crisis with Labour MP Wes Streeting this week after warning today that the party’s rescue plans leave a “big gap to be filled.”

The grassroots campaign group will ask the shadow health secretary to back priority emergency provision of dental services as part of his proposals, a spokesman said today.

“We welcome Labour’s announcements on providing more dental appointments and the supervised brushing of teeth for young children,” he added.

“But these still leave a big gap to be filled. What patients have been crying out for, in pain for the most part, is same-day emergency dental appointments.

“We have yet to see any political party draw up plans to fully address emergency needs.”

NHS dentistry provision “was put on a path towards terminal collapse” when dentists were forced to sign a new dental contract in 2006, the campaign group added.

Labour pledged to provide an extra 700,000 urgent dentist appointments and reform the NHS dental contract in October.